"Actually, I realize perfectly well the purpose of life pods: it lets sf writers tell lifeboat stories in space." "If it's a reactor emergency you're worried about, don't eject the crew in pods, EJECT THE REACTOR! Why not include some kind of pressure balloon to provide temporary airtight containment in a hulled compartment and use the ship's own life support? That way you get the ship's radiation shielding, power, etc. "Why abandon a spaceship, however shot up or meteor-damaged it may be, just to hang around in a flimsy balloon or cramped pod? You're still on the same course, since no life pod can carry much delta-v, and the life-support problems are considerable. As writer and game designer Jim Cambias put it: However, as commonly portrayed in science fiction, the use of escape pods does not always make sense. Rockets carrying astronauts also have an eject system that can separate the crew module from the rest of the rocket in case something goes wrong during launch. In Real Life, the International Space Station always has two spacecraft docked that can act as "escape pods" in case of emergency (these are also the same ships used to carry crew and supplies to the ISS in the first place). But in order for a pod to count as an example of this trope, its primary (or at least informed) purpose must be to serve as a science-fictiony life boat. In a pinch, Escape Pods can be used for purposes besides evacuation they provide a more humane alternative if you feel the urge to throw someone out the airlock, and on rare occasions might even be used to deploy your Space Marines. A nearby Escape Pod may also prove convenient if you've been captured by the villain and are making an Air Vent Escape. If you're ever stuck in a Supervillain Lair thoughtfully equipped with a Self-Destruct Mechanism, you may want to memorize the route to the nearest Escape Pod. Similarly, keep it in mind if you ever find yourself on the wrong end of The Mutiny. The Escape Pod can come in handy should a Boarding Party of Scary Dogmatic Aliens announce that All Your Base Are Belong to Us, and you find it prudent not to question them. Just hope the enemy doesn't decide to Sink the Lifeboats, that your Distress Call does not go unanswered, and that the Conveniently Close Planet you're forced to land on as your pod's limited supplies dwindle doesn't turn out to be a Death World. When your Cool Starship's Faster Than Light Drive is about to suffer a critical Phlebotinum Overload, or Space Pirates are targeting your exhaust port with Frickin' Laser Beams, it's time to head for the Escape Pods, and take your chances drifting on the endless ocean of space in a tiny, fragile shell with no weapons, rudimentary engines, and in cramped quarters with people you may not like. Sometimes called a Life Pod, it is a nearly universal trope in Space Opera, and a tried and true part of the Standard Sci-Fi Fleet.
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